294 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



fi*iiPT>.MBKR 21, I9lb. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST 



-r. MM'KNi. buring the mcnth of August work in the 

 Botaaic Gardens, was of a general routine character. In 

 regard to staple crops Mr. Sands states that the cotton crop 

 «. jntinued to make good progress. There was some damage 

 done by wind on August ".'i, but this was local, and not of a 

 serious nature. The corn crop promised well, and reaping 

 was started. Cotton picking will be in progress during tlie 

 coming month. The Agricultural Superintendent, the Cotton 

 Instructor, and other agricultural officers again devoted much 

 attention to problems connected with the cotton industry, 

 involving the ci^ntrol of cotton stainers, bush bugs, and in 

 one or two cases, leaf-blister mite. The absence of cotton 

 stainers and bush bugs in the fields in the lower Leeward 

 Districts was particularly noticeable. At one estate, a few 

 cotton stainers were found on boiling cotton plants which had 

 been cut back la>t season and not stumped out in a field 

 which was subsequently planted in cassava. The occurrence 

 of leaf-blister mite in other places was attributed to a similar 

 source of infection. 



The rainfall for the month recorded at the Botanic 

 btation was 17 "14 inches; at the Experiment Station, 12"J5 

 inches. 



Attached to Mr. Sands's notes is a report on a visit to 

 the Grenadines by the foreman of the Experiment Station. 

 in connexion with the control of cotton stainers, bush bugs, 

 and other pests in these inlands. The presence of cotton 

 stainers in many of the districts is reported. In one particu- 

 lar case, cotton stainers were seen on Marie Galante cotton 

 plants, living on bits of ?eedcotton left on the plants from 

 the last picking, and on the bolls on a plot of ratooned Sea 

 Island cotton. These bolls were badly infected with internal 

 boll disease. The occurrence however is said to be local, as 

 the examination of cotton bells in plots situated about i-mile 

 or less away revealed no internal disease, nor were any cotton 

 stainers observed in these) plots. Attention is directed 

 to the desirability of taking measures to prevent the spread of 

 leaf-blister mite, which affects a large proportion of the Sea 

 Island cotton in a section of the Grenadines. The foreman 

 was not in a position to say whether the disease is increasing 

 in magnitude from year to year, but it seemed desir- 

 able, in the interest of the Sea Island cotton industry of 

 Union Island, that the operation of the Ordinance for the 

 destruction of old cotton plants at the end of the crop should 

 be extended to this island. As the pest does not appear to 

 affect Marie Galante plants, he suggests that the established 

 methods of growing this perennial cotton need not perhaps 

 be interfered with. Only the destruction of the Sea Island 

 cotton stalks may be necessary. 



ST. KiTTs. Owing to the very dry, hot weather of the 

 past month it was found impos.sible to <io any planting or 

 di.stribution of cuttings during the month of August. From 

 the HoUnic Gardens 12:! oriianieo'^ plants rnly were distri 

 buted. The usual routine work w.^5 carried on, and constant 

 watering to keep the plant: alive w«8 necessary. The record of 

 the post month, Mr. Shepherd state.', is a verj- gloomy one so 

 far as weather is concerned. The rainfall was only 2-28 

 inches, aud rain fell on eight davi only. From this it will be 

 seen that the condition of the canecrop i- very poor, and 

 unless the rain comes soon and heavy, there l- little 

 promi.'ie of more than half the average crop being made 

 The ratoons especially are very poor, having had no 

 artificial n.anure. The c-rr^c crrj has stood the dry weather 



well, and where planted early, the return.-; are very satisfac- 

 tory. Picking is in full .-wing ou the northern side of the- 

 island, and the yield per acre in this district will be above 

 the average, as the weather has suited cotton. In the \alley 

 District showers are needed to develop the boll.-, which are- 

 oisening prematurely. Cotton stainer.s have appeared at the 

 experiment plots, and every effort is being made to keep 

 them under control. A visit ti-. the estates round the 

 island showed that as a general rule the cotton crop is 

 better than formany years past, an<) tin- <-ane crop very poor,- 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS 



The .>pell of dry weather which prevailed during the- 

 latter half of August was broken by the very stormy weather 

 which was experienced on the 22nd day of the month. The 

 previous day was sultry and somewhat misty, but no one 

 expected the cyclonic disturbance which took place within 

 twenty -four hours afterwards. 



C)n the 22nd there were light rains before the veering of 

 the wind to the south. After the disturbance, which was 

 purely local, there was a rain storm which gave .'< inches and 

 a little more in portions of St. Michael, St George, Christ 

 Church, and St. Thomas. In St. Joseph and St. Lucv. Ih. 

 inches was the result of the rainfall on this date, while at 

 Haggatts in St. Andrew the total was only an inch. 



From the 22nd to the end of August the southern and 

 south-midland portions of the island received excellent 

 showers — ^,iust what were needed to keep the surface of the- 

 earth from developing a hard crust. After the 22nd the 

 northern and north-midland portions of the island again had 

 a spell of dry hot days, but on the 30th there was a downpour 

 in St- Thomas. St. .'ames, St. Andrew and part of ,St. Peter. 

 As a result of the rainy days subsei|uent to the 22nd ultimo, 

 the rainfall for August, which ssenied likely to be under , 

 last year's figure, exceeded it. Indeed, in some parts of 

 C'hrist Church, list month's total lacked but little to be twice 

 as much as that for August last ye»r, while it very nearly 

 reached the total of August 191G. when the whole island had 

 a rainfall almost ec|ual to the high record of 18!S 6. 



The cane crops .^uite held their own during the hot days 

 of the latter half of August, and were ready to make good 

 progress with the recent stimulating rains. It is a [Jeasure 

 to view the fields at this time. fCow that the artificial 

 manure has thoroughly penetrated the soil and the cane roots 

 have had sufficient time to take it up, each landscape presenta 

 an expanse of livid green. 



The B.6450. which was .somewhat behind ti>e othei 

 seedlings in growth, has made rapid stride.- during the past 

 few weeks. 



So far there i- no seedlinij ol accredited value being 

 grown for next year's crop except the three of which we have 

 written in recent reports. In non-ratooning districts we 

 would recommend tha^ a small area of the H.6308 be kept 

 on trial. We would also like to see the breed of the B.208 

 and the B.3'.t22 kept going. 



While the ratoons are generally green they appear very 

 low after one has been observing a (iold ol plant canes. They, 

 of course, are but a few months old, and have yet to receive, 

 in the ted soil at least, a second application of artificial 

 manure. Although most ot the ratoons are fairly satisfac- 

 tory, we have noticed several fields which are not improving 

 with age. 



The \ egetable Produce Act will pro.ve a benefit to the 

 land. Fields which would neither have lieen rotated 1.19*., 



